~ Finding authenticity in ordinary life

How We Cleaned Our Smoke Damage

Here’s the update on our smoke damage *warning- very messy house pictures!*
It’s been three week now since the “incident” and we’re happy to report that everything is under control!

It certainly was overwhelming for the first few days, but we decided to divide and conquer!
First thing we did was to leave all windows open, and place fans pointing out (towards the window) to suck all the smokey air out.

Next thing I did was take down all the curtains, linen and towels and throw them in the wash. I did many many loads of laundry with my Shaklee laundry detergent and added a little vinegar to get rid of the smell. It worked wonderfully! There was only one item that took two washes (the one exposed the most!)

Next we sprinkled baking soda EVERYWHERE: The couch, carpet, on top of the wooden kitchen cabinets, on our pillows, uphoilstered chairs, mattress. . . ! We did two takes of the baking soda on the couch, and it worked well! Only problem is that there was baking soda EVERYWHERE! (of course it blew around with the fans/ winows open. . . I suppose I’ll be finding traces for weeks!)

I also placed the vinegar bowls all over the house and in our closet, as well as inside all my kitchen cabinets! We pulled everyhting out. . . then I started doing load after load of dishes. . .

So all in all, it looked like we were going to have to repaint the kitchen, pantry, roof and bathroom to get rid of the smoke that had soaked through. We started off by wiping downall the walls, counters, decorative objects and cabinets, and I think after all this, my appartment will feel and look super fresh and my bathroom will finally be painted! (It’s only been primed all this time!)

Our closet with the smelly clothes was the hardest project because there’s no circulation there. We tried the fan thing as well as a pyrex with charcoal and vinegar bowl. The key item that helped the most was the Air Purifier! If you don’t have one, invest in one! The best was putting an air purifier in there and leaving the door cracked open (worked like a charm in one day!) We moved it around the house for a few days, concentrating it in the kitchen and pantry the longest and it had by far the most significant effect in the shortest amount of time! We’ve decided we don’t need to paint the kitchen after all, pHhhew! Kitchens are the hardest to paint! Still hoping the bathroom gets painted, thought now it’s not so pressing. . .

After those horrific pictures, I at least have to show you some of the progress, right?

So it’s our late Spring Cleaning that I never quite completed when I started my new job, but better late than never!